Method of rapidly aging solidified plastic articles.



DE NARD w. B. YUUNG.

METHOD 0F HAPIDLY AGING SOLIDIFIEU PLASTIC ARTICLES.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7| I9I5.

ATTORNEY.

tcilillcicllu dE NARD w. B. io'uNG. METHOD F RAPLY AGING SQLIDHEUPLASTIC ARTICLES. 1,250,540.

Andaman DE NARD `W` B. YOUNG.` METHOD oFIIAPInLY AGING soLInIFIEnPLASTIC ARTICLES.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC, 7. 19|5. 15250,!540. l 'i' Patented Dee.18,1III71 3 sIIfUs-{IIEET a.

l l u 5 applicativa inea recenter, 7, isis. serial No. 65,530.

imV Nami W. B. YOUNG, or NAnBEn'rH, mi

piiaUIrMENT COMPANY, 'A oonroa'rmn or PENNSYLVANIA.

NNSYL'VANIA, ASSIGNOB T0 SOAP WORKS Y METHOD 0F BAPIDLY AGING SOIDIlIEDPLASTIC ARTICLES.

To ciltwkom it may concern .1

Be it 'known that I, DE Nalin W. B. YOUNG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Narberth, in the county of Montgomery and State .ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Method of RapidlyAging solidified Plastic Articles, of Whic the followingisawspecification. 4

The present invention, broadly stated, relates to a method of rapidlyaging solidified plastic articles and has more particular relation tothe rapidly aging of bars, blocks or 'cakes of soap, and -while theherein disl closed method is ap licable to the rapid aging of othersolidi ed plastics, itis particularly fitted for the treatment of whatis Vtermed in the trade bar-soap and for illustrative purposes, theAfollowing description will be restricted thereto.

In the4 manufacture of bar-soap, as now practised, the soap is4 firstmolded, then cut` into slabs and finally c ut into elongated bars `andplaced upon racks Where the soap re.

mains for days at a time to dry'or age, the length of time depending agreat deal upon existing Weather conditions. The bars of soap thus driedor "aged are then cut into proper sized cakes for commercial use. AsthusV manufactured, bar-soap is commercially unsatisfactory-for a numberof reasons. For instance, by permitting soap to stand for long periodsof time, as above de scribed, it develops a surface efiiorescenceorformation of fine, White, salt crystals. Further, undue penetration ofdryness takes place thus causing shrinkage of soap and resultant loss ofWeight. Still further, the bars ofsoap often become distorted ormisshaped through long standing and perfume used for scenting the soaprapidly eXudates. These and other disadvantageous results all tendto"rei.1der the method noW 'practised exceedingly slow,-iinsatisfactoryand expensive.

This invention has for its principal object to overcome the Aaboverecited disadvantageous features and provide a method of agingVVbar-soapl by which a more commercially valuable' product is obtainedthan is now upon the market in a much more rapid manner and atconsiderable less expense. A

further object of the present inventionis to.

y which a superficial, Vuniform and trans- Specication of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

lucent film or-V skin, free of visible crystab 11n e salts is providedfor said soap. A further ob]ect of the present invention 1s toprovido amethod of rapidly aging bar-soap by which the .shape,lweight and vaporormoisture containingproperties of the soap are appreclably unchanged. Afurther object of .the present invention is to provide a method ofrapidly' aging bar-soap in a oontinuous and uninterru ted manner, bywhich soap afterA being ino ded is first cut into slabs, then cut intobars, blocks or cakes and immediately treated according to the hereindescribed process so that within a few minutes subsequent to beingslabbed, the soap is understood from thefollowing description taken 1n`connection With the accompanying dravvings forming part hereof and inwhich: Figure 1, is a viev'v in centra-l section of apparatus usedv inconnection with my method of rapidly aging solidified plastic articles.

Fig.l 2, is a-view in section taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary view in side elevation, drawn to an enlargedscale, of the delivery portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 4, is a similar'view in end thereof.

elevation Fig. 5, is a similar View in side elevation of vthe feedportion of' the apparatus. a

Fig. 6, is a view in section Aof the finished product,.and,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, principally sectioned, illustrating amodified form of heating device.'

For 'the purpose of illustrating my invention, I' have shown in theabove identified `figures of the drawings, apparatus which is at presentpreferred by me for practising .my-method of rapidly aging ba.r-'soap,since the same. has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that my said methodmay be successi-ally practised with apparatus l other than is hereinshou'uand described.

In practisingr my method. soap is first molded as usual. lt is thenstabbed and im- 5 niediately introduced to a cutting machine (not shownin the drawings) and cut. into hars, blocks or cakes e. From the cutting"i'irachiuc the bar-soap is fed by means 'of a horizontal coi'iremr l0.directly to a ver- 10. tipally. moring endless chain of tree suinglngsmtp-holders 11. The soap as fed to the .iconveyer ttt, is of solidifiedplastic torni. tlie.slii^1ace o'l which is in a senil-crystalline,

non-uniform condition. ,Furtheruiorm `the soap is moist and is asourceot'v vapor eXte- /riorly and internallyv considered. It is ot theessence of the present method that this vapor producing `and moistcondition he preserved. This is so' that the soap retains its specific'properties and original weight.

To this end, l treat thesoap to rapidly derelop a superficial. uniformand translucent film or sliiir\`isil l tree otl crystalline salts and ofinfinitesimal thickness. Thus. while the soap surface is inoditied, thecomposition of the soap is not altered. rl`lie endless chain ofsoup-holders 11. travels over suitabl \v mounted sprocket' wheels 1;` ina tortuo'us path-and the smtp-holders are so hungthat tneyy alwaysnfiaintain a horizontal position except at. that portion ot theapparatus .vhere the. finished product is discharged. lith the feedingof the bars of, i'ap to the. endless chain of soap-holders.`best resultsare obtained by causing thel soap to first,

pass `upwardlyv and then downwardly through a space n., preterabl;Tinclo'sed, con.

tainingr gaseous matter. Jor instance. air', to partially modify thesurtaces ofsaldbars 40 ot soap byubsorhingr therefrom a proper t5non-heat conveying i'noperties.

amount ot surface moisture or vapor. The ,bars ot soap next pass intoand through a closed 'comimrtn'ient 13, pre'lemlfl)T constructedotinsulating,` material possessed of eomliartnient' 13', there ismaintained a static body-of air ot elerated, constantA temperature. Forthis purpose, steam` heated an',

heated water or u ated. solutions or ases` and the"l1ke mayL be passedthrough vertifl cally disposed coils ot plpe 14.' 'Thisprof rides aclosed heating system and the'coils are. so .disposed that each run ofthe endless chain ofsmtp-holders 11, passes between adjacent coils.'Thus not onliv do vthe'hars,

' 6'0 trarel'through said compartment blocks or cakes of soap movethrough a still hotlyof heated air but in addition, pass in immediatejuxtaposition to the` heating me` dium ilse'lt'foi" the greater.' partof their It maT bel 'e observed that l have in mind the elect-r1. ealheating;` et said (annpartmeut13. For thisv purpose and 'tor thel` sakeof illustration the steam pipes 14 may have secured thereto a series ofspaced porcelain or other within thisV non-conducting disks 25perforated tor the passage therethrough of a inultiplitit)y of coiledwires 2G, electric-alliy connected in de sired manuel' to a source otelectrical energy. A'perforated protecting hood QT may be. employed tosurround each steam pipe thus equipped. ln practice, the passage ot soapthrough this static body of air, ol elevated and constant temperature,is at a rate of speed proportionate to the shortest period ot time. towhich .soap may be sul'ijeetcd to a maximum heat of predetermined degreein order to secure the result desired under the present method. Thetemperature at which the static body of air is maintained may vary 'inaccordancepu'ith the character of soap or other plastic article beingaged. The temperature may. generallv7 stated, range between 150" andZ200 Fahrenheit. lu practice, liest results have. been obtained bymaintaining thel static hody ot air ata temperature ot between 1S()nland 190@ Fahrenheit. Theresult desired is thaty ot' deretopinfi ajelly-like inrestixrt;t integument d ot` iniinii tesinial thickness. ltis essential to secure this jelly-like envelop'iu the shortest pos sibletime so that the speeitie properties and weight ot the soap is notchanged. The last step ot' my method is to pass the bars, blocks orcakes thus treated iuto and through 'a cooling?r atnmsphere contained.preferably in a closed conul'nirt-ment rl`he purpose ot this last stepis to fix the jelly-like. investing integument so that a permanent.transhlcent ltihn or skin, free of visible crystalline salts if ults.Such soap-film or skin serves to event atmosphere penetration andfurther serves to prevent escape of internal moisture or raporousn'iatter. This tilm or skin also serves to retard thel rapid exudationSal-oued Smaller sprocket wheels 17.` Guides 1S, are vpresent to insurethe soap-holders 11, being bodily shifted-so as to follow the run ofthe` chain adjacent the latter sprocket A pair of finger-5.19` are alsopres.-

Wheelsv ent against which the individual bars, blocks or cakes ahnt andas the endless chain ot' Soap-holders moves fon its nay, the hars.blocks or cakes are lifted from oli a soapholder 11, and areoverturnedso as to tall upon convey'er 15. As thus discharged from theapparatus. the soap is sut'ticieutl)Y cooled to permit read),7 handling.lt may be here stated tl'A at the soap after discharge from theimprinted o`r apparatus may be passed by conveyer 15, to a stamping orembossing machine,to a press or to a wrapping machineor the soap may beimmediatelypacked. As regards stampin or embossing, the soap surface isadmira ily fitted by my process to readily acce t suitable imprints. Thesame is true shou d it be desired to shape the soap in a ress. Asregards wrapping, it may be state( that the soap. willnot stick to itswrapper which commercially considered. is an important item. It in'ay befurther stated that as discharged frin the apparatus, the soap may bereadily handled foraiiy ofthe abov'e purposes without becomingmis-shaped. It is to be further noted at this point that it is sometimesdesirable to imprint 'or emboss upon the Soap at tl'ietime of cuttingthe same into bars, blocks or cakes, a suitable name, design or thelike. In such event, the soap so imprinted or embossed may be treated inaccordance witl the herein described method without deleterious effectupon the embossed soap portions.

By the. above describedfcontinuous and uninterrupted method, bar-soap israpidly aged to provide a commercially valuable commodity in which whilethe surface thereof is modified, the body retains its original specificproperties and Weight. which is highly important in the trade. Thesuperficial skin or film being free of visible crystalline sa'ltsenhances the appearance of the soap and said skin or film preventspenetration of moisture or vaporous matter to and consequent staining ofawrapper as is now a common fault.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful methodwhich em bodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirablein thestatement of the invention and the above description and while I have inthe present instance shown and described the preferred embodimentthereof, which has been found in practiceto` give satisfactoryand'reliable results, it is to be understood that the same issusceptible of modification in various.'particulars Without departingfrom the spirit orscope of the invention or sacrificing any of itsadvantages and that I have in mind the treating of lastic articlesVother than4 soap..

What I claim is:

, 1. The method. of rapidly aging a .pre-

viously manufactured solidifiedplastic ar- C ticle havingsemi-crystalline, non-uniform surfaces which consists in firstsubjecting the.

article to a body of air of elevated, constant temperature to developtherefor an investing integunient of a 'jelly-like consistency andthen'subjecting the article to a cooling at mosphere to fix saidinvesting integuiiuent` y su the resultant superficial film or skin.being uniform, translucent and visibly free from crystalline salts.

2. The method of rapidly aging a previously' manufactered solidifiedplastic article which consists in subjecting the article to a staticbody of air of elevated, constant temperature to develop an investingintegument of a elly-like consistency and then subjecting t"e article toa cooling atmosphere to 'fix said investing integument, the resultantsuperficial film or skin being uni- 'forin and translucent.

3. The method of rapidly aging a previously manufactured solidifiedplastic article which consists in moving in `a continuous anduninterrupted manner the article, first, through a. static body of airof elevated, con? stant .temperature to develop an investin integumeiitof a jelly-like consistency an then through a cooling atmosphere to fiXsaid investing integuineiit, the resultant superficial film or skinbeing` uniform and Atranslucent.

4. The method of rapidly aging a previ- ,ously manufactured solidifiedplastic article which consists in first moving the same through gaseousmatter to partially modify the article surfaces, next moving saidarticle through a. static body of air of elevated, constant temperatureto develop an investing integument of a jelly-like consistency, andfinally moving said article through a cooling atmosphere to fix saidinvesting integument, the resultantv superficial film or skin beinguniform and translucent..

5. The method of rapidly aging a previ? ously manufacturedsoli'died'plastic arti- .cle having semi-crystalline, nonfuniformsurfaces, whichI consists in first subjecting the article to gaseousmatter to partially modify said surfaces, next subjecting the article.to a static body of air of elevated, constant temperature to develop aninvesting integument of jelly-like consistency and finally subjectingthe article to a cooling atmosphere to fix` said 'investing integument,the resultant superficial film or skin being uniform and translucent.

6. The method of rapidly aging a. previously manufactured solidifiedplasticv article having semi-crystalline, .non-uniform surfaceswhichconsists in conveying by a continuous `and uninterrupted movement said 4moving the soap through a cooling atmosplierc to fix said investingintegument, the resultant superficial film or skin beingalr uniform andtranslucent.

8. The method of rapidly aging bar-soap having semicr \'stalline,non-u'nlforn'i sun. faces which consists in moving tluI same through aStatic body of' air of elevated, constant temperature to develop aninvesting integument of clly-likc consistency and then moving the samethrough a cooling atmosphere to fix said investing' integumcut.

the resultant superficial film or skin boing uniform, translucent andvisibly free of crystalline salts;

9.1'1he method off rapidly aging: bar-soap having semi-crystal]ine`non-uniform surfaces, which consists in conveying in a con tinuous andu11interx"uptcd movcn'lenb said soap, first, through gaseous matter topartially l'nodify the soap surface, next, through a static body of airof elevated. constant temperature to develop an investing integument ofjclly-lil c consistency and finally, through a cooling atmosphere to fixsaid investing integumcnt, the rcsultantlfilm or skin being uniforni,translucent and visibly free of crystalline salts.

10. The method of aging a previously manufactured solidified plasticarticle which is a source of vapor and is moist internally andexternally considered, which consists in subjecting the article to abody off-air of clevated and constant temperature to rapidly develop asul'ierficial, uniform film or skin therefor' and then fixing such filmor skin by subjectingr the article to a cooling atmos plicrc, wherebythc articl(` surface is modified lo the extent oi. rendering it losspcrmcable to the escape oi' said vapor and moisture. l

11. The method of rapidlyaging'a previously manufactured solidifiedplastic article which consists in subjecting the article to a body of'air of' elevated, constant ternpcraturc to develop aninvcstingintcgument of a jcllydilie consislcney and then Subjecting tlularticle to a cooling atmosphere to fix said investing inicgumeui` thcresultant su-' perficial film or skin being uniform and translucent.

12. The method of aging a previously n'ninufactured solidified plasticarticle which is a source of vapor` is moist and which contailmdissolvablo substancesl internally and cxtcrnally considered. whichconsists in subiccting the article to n body of air of elcvatcd andconstant temperature to rapidly dcvclop a Isuperficialluniform film orskin thcref'or and [hen fixing! such film or Skin by subjecting thearticle to .a cooling atmosphcre, whcreby-thc article surface is1nodified to thc extent. of rendering it. less permeable to the escapeof said vapor, moisture. and dissolvable substanccs.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name.

DE NAND WV. 13.(YOUNG fitnessesc i l-VILLIAM J. JACKSON, HELEN M.BYRNE.`

